Keira’s Story: A Safer Future, One Step at a Time

Keira is a 21-year-old woman with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and an intellectual disability. She’s navigating life on her own in Kāinga Ora housing, while also dealing with ongoing family violence. Like too many others, the systems around her haven’t always recognised how disability and violence intersect. Sometimes, what are signs of Keira’s abuse and trauma are misunderstood as “disruptive” behaviour — especially when her disabilities make it hard for her to meet certain expectations from mainstream services and society. 

Because of previous negative experiences, Keira didn’t feel safe or willing to reach out to services for support. She was left isolated, unsupported, and constantly at risk. 

That’s where VisAble stepped in. We worked alongside Keira to understand her needs — and more importantly, to ensure others did too. We advocated for her housing stability and explained to agencies that standard safety plans weren’t realistic for her. Together with the Police, we made sure their system now includes notes about Keira’s disabilities, helping frontline officers communicate in ways that are safer and more respectful. 

One of the biggest wins came through partnership. Working with a family violence service, we co-designed a women's safety education programme just for Keira. It was delivered one-on-one, in shorter sessions over time, matching her learning style. We also connected her with a local wellbeing provider to support her mental and emotional health. 

Behind the scenes, we coordinated all the communication between services, so Keira didn’t have to struggle to do this herself. This helped reduce her stress and avoided further trauma. 

Now, Keira remains safely housed. Her support network — Police, health services, and family violence providers — are working together, not in silos. Keira’s story shows us what’s possible when disabled people are at the centre of their own solutions, and when services are willing to listen, adapt, and walk alongside disabled people with care.